Bean Soup with Ham and Curly Endive

wondering what to do with that ham bone from the Sunday dinner? or the holiday gathering? or the bone that you stuck in the freezer until you figured out what to do with it because it'd be a waste to toss? LOL! try this...
Bean Soup with Ham and Curly Endive:112:
1 1/4 dried cannellini beans,

Bean Soup with Ham and Curly Endive

wondering what to do with that ham bone from the Sunday dinner? or the holiday gathering? or the bone that you stuck in the freezer until you figured out what to do with it because it'd be a waste to toss? LOL! try this...
Bean Soup with Ham and Curly Endive
1 1/4 dried cannellini beans, preferabley soaked overnight (other beans on hand will work just fine...I just happen to stock a variety of beans...cheap eating ya know;->)
1 bay leaf
1 large meaty ham bone, excess fat removed, or a 1 1/2 lb ham steak
1 1/2 lb head curly endive, outer leaves trimmed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 galic cloves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 medium soup pasta, such as ditali (or other small pasta hanging out in your cupboard)

2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
If using presoaked dried beans, place them in a pan with cold water to cover by 3 in. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer with the bay leaf and ham bone, if using, until tender, about 1 hour. If using ham steak, add a third of it to the beans after 30 minutes. Alternatively, place dried beans in a pan with cold water to cover by 3 in, bring to a boil, cover and let stand, off the heat, for 1 hour, then cook as above. When the beans are tender, remove the ham bone, if using, cut off the meat, dice it, set it aside and discard the bone. If using ham steak, dice the piece that has cooked with the beans, and reserve. Trim the bottom off the curly endive. Wash it, pat dry and cut into 1/4 in wide ribbons then chop roughly. Warm the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the curly endive. Add the garlic and onion. Saute over medium-low heat just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper flakes. If using ham steak, cut the remainder into dice and saute it in the skillet for 1-2 minutes to marry the flavors. Add the curly endive to the skillet, and toss well. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Trnasfer the mixture to the bean pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the pasta and salt. Cook until the curly endive and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pepper and the reserved cooked ham, and check the seasoning before serving. 4 servings = about 810 calories.
note: you can substitute other salty meats like chopped salami or pepperoni if you happen to have that on hand. you can also substitute escarole, cut broccoli for the endive. adding chopped tomatoes will add color and make a 'pretty' soup even more flavorful

I never had endive in bean soup before. This soup sounds like something my Deep Southern Friends would make. I'll have to get a jump on this one and surprize them with this one, when we meet up again. They tell me the N. can't cook that well.Lollll

I grew up in New Orleans and my neighborhood was culturally quite diverse -- some even immigrants from 'old countries' that became citzens. I was the only girl in the neighborhood so I got passed around from kitchen-to-kitchen! LOL! my soups are heavily Italian influence...it seemed like they were always making soups...and the greens that we normally think of as salad types are used more for soups. you'll be surprised at the flavor in the soup. I like what I learned (and Daddy did too;->) so I keep playing. my 'basic' recipes are mostly Cajun and French (first generation mother) and so are most of my sauces. marinades are from all over the world. baking is German and Russian influence. I was pretty lucky...I think that we had a sampling of just about every eating style on the planet and I soaked it up. then I married (and divorced) a Frenchman and I had to sharpen my European cooking. he would sample until I got it just right! LOL!
so now you know more than you needed to know, but have an idea as to why I have some recipes with combinations that most people wouldn't consider

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to mos For This Useful Post:

What a sweet heart you are for sharing your soup recipe and a bit of info on your back ground. I love cooking and baking also. German is part of my background also. The Germans have such delish recipes too. Hope to see some of those recipes from you also. Have a Blessed Day.

Oh JoAnn, don't worry about that girl! I'm from the South, but just moved to PA 2 years ago & let me tell you, Northerners can cook!!! (Although, I do have to say, I miss some of the things that are Southern specialties. ) - But the Italian food up here is INCREDIBLE!!!!